In order to attract new employees, businesses often use company websites, online job boards and sometimes print media to communicate open positions. Companies should target their advertisements to the mediums available to prospective job candidates. Whatever proposed advertisements and communications mediums are used, they should also fit the organizational culture as well as the company budget for recruitment.

Company Websites

The company website is an excellent communications tool for open positions if the company is well known and receives consistent web traffic. If large enough, the volume of website visitors can create a valuable recruitment pool. Start-up companies, small businesses and lesser known organizations may not find their own website as valuable if it does not attract web traffic.

Online Job Boards

Online job boards are a popular place for many companies to post open positions. Established job boards can be cost prohibitive. Top job boards can cost over $400 to post a single position. The per-posting costs are reduced if multiple job posts are purchased, which may be attractive to larger companies. Small businesses may use free job boards to post their positions, but these can be less reliable. Free listing services do not always request resumes or qualify candidates in any way, therefore a company may need to weed through a large number of applications before finding qualified candidates.

Print Media

Print media can be used to advertise job listings, but these advertisements do not qualify candidates in advance. A company may use industry or trade publications to post positions to be more effective. Trade publications are targeted toward industry professionals and therefore applicants may have more experience and training for posted positions, therefore qualifying candidates through the publication audience.

Colleges and Universities

Companies can advertise with local educational institutions. Schools often have work-study or job-placement programs that advertise on behalf of participating companies. Also schools often have student magazines and newspapers that offer more inexpensive advertising than traditional print or online media. The schools should also be targeted through the programs they offer to maximize effectiveness. In other words an engineering firm should work with a local institution known for their strong engineering program.

About the Author

Tim Burris has over seven years experience writing and editing formal sales proposals and marketing materials. Tim has also worked as a freelance journalist for two news organizations. His cover story in "NUVO Newsweekly," Financial Disclosure, May 5, 2004, won an award from the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists. Tim has a Bachelor of Science degree in business, finance from Indiana University.